


Some Brotherly Advice

by swaneewhistleandkazoo



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Affection, Canon Compliant, Coffee, F/M, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, Idiots in Love, Insecure Newt Scamander, Love, Mutual Pining, Post-Movie 1: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Pre-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 01:19:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16776751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swaneewhistleandkazoo/pseuds/swaneewhistleandkazoo
Summary: After his fourth attempt to appeal his International Travel Ban, Newt retreats to the Leaky Cauldron and Theseus offers him some comfort and advice on how to fix his relationship with Tina.





	Some Brotherly Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Just to be safe the Author would like to note that drinking alcohol is not a healthy way of dealing with your problems and does not endorse this coping method.

As he sat in the darkest corner of the Leaky Cauldron, Travers’s spiteful words echoed dully through his head, reverberating over and over “Request for International Travel Denied”

Again.

Angry restless energy bubbled up within him and he had to stop himself from slamming his pint glass down on the table. It was petty and childish act and Tom the barman would not appreciate him breaking any more of his glasses.

This was the fourth time he’d attempted to have the travel ban against him lifted. Bitterly he took another sip of his beer relieved that the bitter tang of alcohol was no longer so overwhelming the more of it he drank.

It was the sheer stupidity of the Ministry’s reaction that really aggravated him, like they suspected Dumbledore, why they felt threatened by him continually perplexed him, had sent him to New York to intervene with Grindelwald’s plans there and that he had intentionally caused a serious breach of the Statue of Secrecy there.

Well he bloody well hadn’t.

Although he did have his suspicions that Dumbledore had told him where to find Frank and that he’d end up taking Frank through a muggle port and so by happy “accident” get muddled up in stopping Grindelwald’s manipulations there. As his drive to do the right thing had overcome his instincts for self preservation.

Not being able to travel made him feel trapped and stifled, like a golden snidget trapped inside a seekers glove.

Much worse than that, so so much worse was that Tina had stopped responding to his letters. Ever since he’d sent that regrettably strongly worded letter about his opinion on Aurors to her, even though in fairness the Department of Law Enforcement was the reason he couldn’t deliver his book into her hands in person, and the launch of his book he hadn’t heard from her.

The memory of her face lighting up in delight when he’d promised to see her again had spurred him into completing the book with her title adorning the cover. Although he rather suspected that Madam Picquery had ordered him escorted out of the America and Tina had merely been a gentle way to do it she’d walked him to the dock to see him off. But when he’d stroked her cheek, just moving a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes and behind her ear the backs of his fingers where they’d brushed her soft skin had burned.

Fumbling he’d turned around and then come back when an idea had struck him of a way to see her again.

Then he’d made eye contact with her and found himself arrested by what he’d seen there. So dark they were nearly black like the deepest part of any of the Scottish lochs and yet dancing with internal fire. _Fire in dark water eyes, just like Salamanders_ _in a pool_ he’d mused mutely and he could have happily drowned in them they were just so… beautiful.

Through their letter’s he’d managed to open himself up to her and more miraculously she’d opened up to him. And their relationship had deepened and broadened in way’s he’d been unable to imagine before. He’d been bowled over by the feelings he had developed for her and the idea of being the reason to bring her happiness made him tingle with pleasure and the anticipation of seeing her again had caused him many sleepless nights. 

Although they might have been caused by his overactive and wildly inappropriate mind imagining her there with him, which whenever he recalled those dreams he could feel his ears flush.

The realisation that was in love with her, really truly in love her and hopefully as indicated by the increasingly warm letters towards him she felt in a similar way towards him had brought him as much if not more joy than seeing his life work stacking the shelves of the bookshops.

Then suddenly nothing no contact which had knocked him for six and left him wracking him brains for the simple question of why? Why had she stopped talking to him?

Was it something he’d done prehaps? Maybe he had been a little too strongly worded in his opinions about Aurors to her, only remembering regrettably she was an Auror once he’d already posted the damn thing. Maybe it was just him and whatever charm she’s seen in him had worn off and his presence in her life was annoying her?

Maybe she was just busy with her fellow Auror’s tracking down Grindelwald after his escape from MACUSA headquarters? Although the mental image of her putting herself in danger ate at him for all he knew she was a very capable witch, far better at magic than he was, he still worried about her safety. It had crossed his mind that she was injured or captured and he’d driven himself to distraction until he’d realised that Queenie would hopefully write to him if something had happened to her sister.

In his darkest moments he pictured her being swept of her feet by a dashingly handsome, talented, on the same continent, _entirely suitable_ Auror. More appropriate, less abnormal for her to want to be with than he would ever be. And she didn’t want to hurt him by telling him and had set about to discourage him gently. Every time he dwelled on that thought his chest lurched horribly, a sensation similar to falling down the stairs, and he bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted blood and bitter tears had been shed. Abruptly he was full of shame, it was arrogant for him to presume that she’d fallen for him in return and that if he loved her he’d better make every effort to be happy for her, banishing his feelings of hurt if it meant he could remain a small part of her life.

The not knowing was unbearable as the silence stretched onwards and onwards.

Unwilling to let their friendship die completely he had continued to write to her and every day he’s eagerly searched through his pile of letters, eyes straining for the familiar slant of her handwriting and every day his stomach sank a little lower at the continued silence. 

For now though all he had of her was a cigar box full of her read and reread letters and a hastily cut of photo of her from a newspaper which he’d cut out and kept on an impulse. 

The hearing today was the final straw though and while he didn’t usually make a habit of drowning his sorrows but tonight it felt an appropriate thing to do as did finding the darkest corner in the little pub and let himself stew. His head buzzed pleasantly as the alcohol began to take effect.

Ok, this was not the best coping mechanism he could have come up with but with the mood he was in it was the one he felt most like doing. 

Better than his two alternatives; over working himself around his basement conversing with his creatures hoping they would come up with a solution he hadn’t thought of yet as he had for the last three times his travel ban had been upheld, although they had yet to respond to him with an intelligent answer.

Or going and giving Travers a piece of his mind and maybe unleashing the nifflers on his house which was liable to get him in even deeper trouble than he was already in.

Sinking deeper into dark thoughts he nearly jumped out of his skin when a large callused hand landed on his shoulder managing to spill most of his drink on the owner of the hand. Theseus swore slightly looking down at his ruined trousers.

He took a slight savage enjoyment over managing to ruin his perfect brother’s second best trousers after all misery loves company, which elevated his mood briefly before despondency descended again.

“Newt” His brother sounded worried, which in reflection he should be as he sitting and drinking in the darkest, gloomiest corner of a pub a sure sign of someone who is upset “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong” Except his dismal social skills in general, especially when it came to beautiful, kind, compassionate, brave witches with intense fire in dark water eyes. And the bloody Ministry upholding his travel ban so he couldn’t go and straighten things out with her.

Time for a bald faced lie “I’m fine”

Theseus dropped down on the seat next to him and signalled Tom the barman for another two beers. Reluctantly he shifted over slightly to make just enough room for Theseus to settle next to him. It was uncomfortable between them at the moment what with Theseus marrying Leta he’s tried to be happy for them honestly he has but there so much history between himself and Leta and he and Theseus have never been quite able to understand each other.

His brother is a hugger after all and he definitely isn’t.

“Newt” His brother leaned forward and gazed at him empathetically; leaning emotionally on the two words “What’s wrong?”

Right now his wounds are too raw and ragged and he's unable to be soothed by himself alone. For the first time in a long time he wants to unburden himself to… well… anyone.

Even to Theseus.

“They upheld my travel ban” he mumbled, fiddling with his pint glass watching as it spun around and around. Theseus’s hand thumped down on the rim of the glass, preventing it from twirling about and fixed him with a stern glare.

It’s an impressive glare, one of the best he’s ever been fixed with Theseus’d obviously had been taking lessons from their Father or Dumbledore but his voice is gentle and coaxing towards him as he repeated gently “What’s wrong?”

Theseus has always been able to see through him.

Mentally girding himself for the upcoming trial and trying to plan out his queries in advance “I need your advice”

Theseus blinked, surprise suffusing his face, his entire body and he can see the cogs and gears in his brain turning after all Newt has never turned to him asking for advice before. A twinge of regret joins the traffic jam of emotions running madly around his insides, they should be closer, after all they are brothers. But he doesn’t know how to change their relationship now.

“Does this have something to do with a woman?” Although it stings that Theseus can see right through him when he struggles through the most human interaction he still smiles internally Theseus is smarter than he looks and more perceptive than most give him credit for. “Tina?”

“Yeah” Is all he can force out with his shoulders around his ears with embarrassment.

Theseus leaned back casually taking a slow sip at his beer. He does this a lot take a moment to quickly think things through. “Do you like her?”

“Yes. I like her” It’s a barely adequate description of how he feels about her, the tingling pleasure he’d felt the one and only he’d held her in his arms when escaping from the execution chamber, the ease he had in her presence while he’s stayed with the Goldstein sisters the week after capturing Grindelwald or when looking at his photo of her and the overwhelming joy he felt whenever a new letter from her arrived in his hands. “I like her very much.”

His hands made a little helpless gesture as he tried to encompass everything he felt about her into words “I’m…” he could feel his face twitch as he struggled “I’m… very interested in her”

No that didn’t sound anymore right.

Maybe even less accurate.

A delighted gleam shimmered across Theseus’s eyes before he could quell it and he felt his face heat up. “I’m sorry” Theseus said calmly trying to put him at ease otherwise he might have clammed up tighter than ever “But Little Brother that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you talk about a girl”

Unless you count Leta, but then he’d never really spoken about her to his brother.

“So” Theseus crossed his leg at the knee and settled down more comfortable, its gratifying to know that his brothers in for the long haul “Does she like you in return?”

“I’m not really very sure” Unable to continue to under Theseus’s steady gaze he diverted his attention to his fingers that were starting to trace the raised rings of wood on the table, his mind occupied with the mystery that is witches. “That’s why I need your advice and...”

“Tell me” The gentle insistence cuts through his tangled thoughts which he appreciates and Theseus just sits and Listens to him as he pours out all of his emotions, what she’s like, how brave and compassionate she is, and how he feels about her, what’s happened between them and his bewilderment over her sudden unexpected silence. And his aching pain over being unable to see her.

“Well” Theseus took a another sip of his pint “She sounds like quite a woman, clever too, she’d have to be to keep up with you Little Brother”

“I think she’s all of those things” A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as his mind over flows with his memories of her. 

*

_He’d been ever so grateful when Madame Picquery had declared a recess in the long hearings, in the aftermath of the capture of Grindelwald._

_Long tedious hours of being trapped in that hot oppressive room listening to report after report on what had happen during Credence’s attack on the city and Grindelwald make him feel claustrophobic._

_He’d given evidence, Tina had given evidence and they’d sat together on one of the benches off to the side of the room, away from the heavy weight of everybody else in the room’s stares and whispers. He could imagine what they were thinking how did this odd little magizoologist (whatever that is?) and a demoted disgraced Auror investigate and capture the likes of Gelert Grindelwald?_

_Tina stood up and stretch luxuriously, working the kinks out of her back. Absentmindedly he measured the arch of her back, her slight curves and willowy frame. When she turned to look at him he had to fix his gaze on the ground to hide his awkwardness._

_“Do you want to get a cup of coffee?”_

_He had, feeling that he’d need it to get through the next few hours of tedious debate._

_Unfortunately it turned out that the coffee in the MACUSA varied between utterly terrible and undrinkable and only hard taught table manners had prevented him from spitting it straight back out again. So he’d abandoned the cup and shifted his weight on the cold uncomfortable seat and valiantly fought the urge to play with the salt and pepper pots as Tina poured around ten spoonfuls of sugar into her cup._

_“Would you like some coffee with your sugar?” The words escaped from his mouth before he could stop them and he could only shift uncomfortable while he waited for her to find him annoying._

_To his relief she laughed lightly at his joke and looked ruefully at her coffee “I know it’s a lot, but it’s the only way to make it drinkable” He’s reminded once again that as an Auror she’s probably drunk many cups as she hunted down the worst of their kind and figured out a way to make it palatable She held the cup out to him “Wanna try?”_

_Not really no, he doesn’t particularly like coffee at the best of times and the MACUSA stuff may put him off it for life. Shaking his head in playful refusal they grinned at each other. Smiling like that he felt like her could look at her for days and not get bored._

_“You should try the British Ministry’s rock cakes” He tells her cheerfully “They’re hard enough to crack your teeth on”_

_She quirked an eyebrow at him “I’ll bet”_

_Just as he says “I think they’re just rocks transfigured into cakes.” She says “Maybe they’re just transfigured rocks into semi edible foodstuff.”_

_Astounded they stare at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter again._

_But inside he’s marvelling that she understands what he’s trying to say, he’s never had someone on the same page as him before even with Leta, his only friend before now. The air between them is thick with a strange tension between them, both comfortably warm like it’s something he should have felt his whole life and at the same time fizzing with exciting sparks, filling him up like he’s consumed firewhiskey or a vial of Felix Felicis._

_They’re connecting, he realises with a start and its special, something somehow more than he’s had before. The sensation buoys him up the rest of the day even back in that stifling room and when he drops off the Occamy egg shells for Jacob and all the way back home._

_*_

Face glowing he’d groped madly for something else to say about her “She around five foot and eight inches and slender, you could almost say willowy.” He paused thoughtfully “And her hair is brown but a nice brown and her eyes Theseus they’re like fire in dark water… like a salamanders...and when she looks at me they’re just so…”

He cleared his throat so he could continue “When she’s being polite she smile with her lips together. But when she really means it… when she finds something or amusing or I say something that makes her happy… she smiles with her whole face and her teeth show.”

The memory of that smile makes his face flushed with heat as he was unable to continue.

Theseus looked at him kindly “She sound’s wonderful Newt”

“Yes” He declares simply “I think she’s beautiful”

“Are you going to see her again?”

Is he? He’d love to see her again even if was only as her friend. Which as he reminds himself is quite a lot more than them being strangers, but still he doesn’t think just being friends would be enough for him.

“I’d planned to give her a copy of my book in person, in fact I promised her I would but then the Ministry banned me from leaving the country and…” His voice rose up in distress “…She’s stopped writing to me”

They might never see each other again and that thought causes anguished tears to prick at the corner of his eyes before he could stop them and it took a moment for him to reign in his emotions before he can look at his brother. 

“And now I don’t know what to do?” Earnestly he reached out for his brother, hoping frantically that Theseus might have a way to fix his problems. 

“Well” Theseus says slowly “Firstly Newt, I want you to stop drinking tonight because you’ve had enough and you might do something silly”

Like finding the next portkey to America, hang the rules, and then getting thrown into Azkaban, for instance.

Theseus held a second finger up “Secondly keep on writing to her, she’s not sending them back unopened so keep on trying, so she might be on long term assignment so she’ll respond eventually”

“And thirdly” Theseus looked at him sternly “I might be able to help you get the travel ban rescinded, but you’re not going to like it so when you hear it please can you keep an open mind?”

He shoves a piece of paper into his hand and blearily he’s able to make out the time and date for his next hearing. Fingers trembling with hope he folded it carefully placing it in his inside coat pocket next to Tina’s photo.

 _Maybe_ He thinks to himself as he goes to leave after settling his tab with Tom, Theseus has abandoned him to pay for his drink as well. Hope has kept him going this long _Maybe._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. 
> 
> I like Newt and Theseus’s relationship, they’re so close and yet don’t really get each other. I hope in the next film we see more about their relationship.
> 
> Aw Newt, stop feeling so insecure she loves you. 
> 
> Mini Newtina coffee date.
> 
> Your comments and kudos are as always deeply appreciated.


End file.
